


Step One

by EmScully



Series: Long Road [2]
Category: The X-Files
Genre: Angst, Attack, Drama, F/M, Hospital, Hurt/Comfort, Rape
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-13
Updated: 2017-09-13
Packaged: 2018-12-27 08:12:32
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,379
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12077097
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EmScully/pseuds/EmScully
Summary: Mulder stays by Scully's side at the hospital after her attack.





	Step One

“She’ll need to go to the hospital,” a body-less voice tells Mulder’s cottony ears. His eyes haven’t left Scully and his feet are cemented in place. _MOVE!_ His mind screams at him, he needs to be next to her. _She won’t want you to touch her._ He won’t touch her, unless she asks. A paramedic is now at his side, leaving Scully looking vulnerable on the couch. He eyes a towel she is sitting on; he hadn’t noticed it earlier. The reason for it’s being there makes the lump in his throat drop to his bowels and his stomach burns. “Ambulance…” the voice is back, coming from the paramedic at his side, “trauma. Bleeding.” The words invade his mind like a plague and he can only nod. He watches Scully swallow, her shaky fingers tucking stray hair behind her ear, it snags on her torn fingernails but she doesn’t wince. Mulder does. The other paramedic at Scully’s side stands and leans in to help her up; this is what Mulder’s body needed to move. In a flash he is at her side, his hand out, offering his support. Scully places her hand in his; it is soft and warm. He was expecting ice. She leans into his arm and pulls herself into a standing position, a groan of pain audible in her throat. He knows she tried to hide it. He pretends he didn’t hear, but he can’t pretend he doesn’t see the blood that has seeped into the beige towel that had been under her. His face blanches and he wavers slightly, but holds strong. _Strong for Scully._

Scully doesn’t speak as they make their way, slowly, to the awaiting ambulance. She refused a gurney. Mulder isn’t surprised. They walk; arms linked, to the back of the red truck, the lights glowing bright even in the morning sun. “Can you follow?” Scully’s voice from below his shoulder pulls him out of his trance-like daze. He looks down at her, and her face is calm, but pale, her eyes fixed on his.

“Follow?”

She nods, “yeah, I would like you there, please. I can’t call my mom. Not yet.” She turns away from him and faces the ambulance, mentally preparing for the short trip to the hospital.

“Of course,” Mulder answers but doesn’t let go of her, and she doesn’t pull away. When the paramedics finally do move to take Scully from his grasp Mulder has to fight himself from gripping her tighter. _His Scully._ He turns away, not wanting to watch the process it takes of getting her into the ambulance. When he finally does look, she is sitting on the low gurney, her eyes closed in obvious pain, her hands gripping her thighs. Mulder’s skin tightens around his body and his feet turn to lead again.

The same paramedic is in his ear again, her voice calm and understanding. He nods as she tells him which hospital and that she will be okay. _Okay. Scully will be okay._ Suddenly he is behind the wheel of his car, his eyes fixated on the flashing lights ahead of him and tears pouring down his face. He doesn’t remember crying, and when he finally realizes that he is, he doesn’t remember how to stop. His chest aches as his body fights the ugly sobs that escape his throat. _His Scully. His Scully. His Scully._

He leaves his car in a no park zone, _fuck it,_ and makes his way into the emergency department to Scully. She is on a gurney in a tiny room and two nurses are taking her vitals. Mulder hangs by the open door, not wanting to be in the way, but unable to let her out of his sight. Scully’s eyes open long enough to see him and she pats the mattress subtly at her thigh. Like an obedient dog, he is at her side instantly. One of the nurses is cutting at her pants and Mulder adverts his eyes trying to preserve her last bit of modesty. He is watching as a large pad is placed between her legs and her hand flies up and grips his arm in a vice. The nurse covers her with a blanket and removes the blood pressure cuff, “the doctor will be right in, we will get you some pain meds just as soon as we can, okay?” She doesn’t wait for Scully to answer and fidgets with the IV bag connected to the back of Scully’s hand not gripping his arm. She only nods; her eyes are closed again.

For a few moments they are alone in the room and Mulder stares at the pale hand that is still gripping the sleeve of his jacket. Her voice startles him and he meets her eyes, “thank you for being here.” Her voice is low and quiet, calming. He is calmed by her voice.

He shakes his head and places his hand over hers on his arm, “I’m always here, Scully.”

Their moment alone is gone as an older doctor enters the room. She is tall, almost as tall as him but moves gracefully and professionally. She extends her hand to Scully and then to Mulder. She introduces herself as Maureen Lewis. He watches as the two women converse with just a look. “We need to do a pelvic, the amount of bleeding is concerning.”              

Scully nods, “he uhm, he used a gun,” she bites her lip and bunches the thin blanket in her hands, her fingernails snagging it.

Mulder has to brace himself on the bars of the gurney. _Gun. He used a gun. Gun. Gun Gun._

Doctor Lewis nods and if she was shocked, she hid it well, “okay, lets anticipate some tearing, okay? We are going to send off some blood and take some precautionary measures, everything normal for a rape.” She and her nurse start prepping for the exam. Mulder watches and tries to keep his hands from shaking. _Rape._ It was the first time someone said it. _Scully was raped._ The doctor sits on a stool between Scully’s legs and Scully’s hand is suddenly on his arm again. Mulder sways when the bloodied pad is removed and discarded on the floor. Doctor Lewis’s voice explains everything but he processes none of it. Scully nods robotically between winces. Mulder takes a step closer to Scully’s head and breaths deeply, adverting his eyes towards anything but what was happening between his partner’s legs.

“God!” Scully cries out and her whole body tenses, her face contorts in pain, “stop, stop, stop, just a minute, please,” she holds up a hand to the doctor, “please, I just need a minute” she pleads, her breath hitching in her chest. Mulder locks his knees to keep from falling. His throat constricts at the sound of Scully’s pained voice.

Doctor Lewis removes her hands from Scully’s body and drops her gloves into the bloody pile on the floor. She put her bare hand on Scully’s bare knee, “Dana? Dana, you have extreme internal tearing. I don’t feel comfortable doing any kind of repairs with just local anesthesia. Do you understand?”

Scully nods again and opens her eyes, “okay, yeah.” Mulder looks at the two women; he’s doesn’t understanding what is happening. Scully, the saint that she is senses his concern, “she needs to put me under general anesthesia to repair the damage” she swallows and pats Mulder’s hand reassuringly.

“We will stitch up your head while we are at it” Doctor Lewis adds as her nurse places a fresh pad between Scully’s legs and covers her back up.

Scully touches her head gingerly, she had forgotten the gash above her ear, “thanks” she whispers.

“We will get you up in a few minutes, okay? The nurse should have your pain meds shortly and I will add a sedative. Lets not make this any more painful than it has to be.” She didn’t wait for an answer and rushes out.

“Scully….”

“Mulder, don’t please.” She squeezes his hand and turns her face to him, “just be here, okay?”

He nods and forces a smile, “okay. I’m here,” he runs his fingers lightly over the tops of Scully’s brittle and torn nails. He pretends not to see the silent tears streaming down her face.


End file.
